2 killed in Keraniganj

A mob beat an alleged mugger to death and injured another as the two were fleeing with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw after killing its driver in Keraniganj on the outskirts of the capital early yesterday.

The driver was identified as Babul alias Babla, 35, of Hasnabad in Dakkhin Keraniganj.

The alleged mugger, Abul Hossain, was 40. Critically injured Sumon, almost same age as Abul, was being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Abul's family claimed Sumon was one of his friends and both were auto-rickshaw drivers.

Officer-in-Charge Mainuddin Khan of Keraniganj Police Station told The Daily Star that two men riding on a motorcycle and some three-four on an auto-rickshaw around midnight chased another auto-rickshaw, shouting that it was carrying muggers.

As they reached near Khagail, the pursuer auto-rickshaw hit the other causing it to overturn.

Locals joined the pursuers and the two alleged muggers were dragged out of the vehicle and beaten up. Both were injured. Police took them to DMCH where Abul died around 8:00am yesterday.

Sumon told police that they hired the auto-rickshaw from Chunkutia.

On the way, they gave the driver poison-mixed food and he had fallen unconscious. They threw the driver out of the vehicle at Mujahidnagar and sped with the vehicle. Seeing this, people on the motorcycle and the other auto-rickshaw chased them.

OC Mainuddin said the mob did not notice the auto-rickshaw driver who had been left on the road. Locals saw the body of driver Babul in the morning.

Informed by locals, police recovered the body and sent it to Sir Salimullah Medical College morgue for an autopsy.